Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire Research Paper

10. BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS ● Planning for Renewable Energy in Worcestershire10.7 Domestic emissions will be due, ina large part, to the existing housingstock's poor energy performance.Measures to encourage greater energyefficiency in existing properties may beconsidered, including retro-fittinginsulation, etc., in other documents withinLDFs. However, new properties can moreeasily allow for the integration of energysaving and energy generation measures.10.8 The Defra emissions data bysector referred to above is a generallyreliable indicator of CO2 output resultingfrom housing. It must be noted, however,that the methodology behind this data hasbeen refined over the past few years, andmay continue to be refined. Whilst it isbeneficial to have more accurate data,this continual process of modificationcauses certain problems, and directcomparisons to assess trends are notalways possible. Nevertheless, we mustcollate the best and most relevant dataavailable, and this has been included aspart of the appendices to this document.10.9 Current average householdemissions for typical modern homes arepublished by the Energy Saving Trust,and are reproduced at Appendix E. Thedata suggests a range of emissionsdepending on house size, ranging from2,278kg of CO2 per year for aone-bedroom flat, to 8,260kg of CO2 peryear for a four-bedroom detached house.10.10 In order to understand thepossible methods of generatingrenewable or low-carbon energy, thecharacteristics of the County's resourcesmust be assessed. The principaltechnologies likely to be considered willbe wind-power, solar (both solar hot waterand solar photovoltaic), hydro-power,biomass, and ground/air/water sourceheat pumps. Each of these technologieshas different requirements in order tooperate effectively. Resource capacitydata within the County (for example windspeed and direction, biomass crop yield,water flow rates along rivers and streams,etc.) remains to a certain extent unknown,although there is partial coverage byexisting regional surveys, principallyRenewable Energy Prospects for theWest Midlands 27 . Appendix F containsextracts of those elements relevant toWorcestershire.27Renewable Energy Prospects for the West Midlands,Final Report, Halcrow Group Ltd for GOWM (November2001)BASELINE DATA AND FORECASTS:SUMMARY/SUGGESTIONS● WORCESTERSHIRE'S DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIALEMISSIONS ARE HIGH. DOMESTIC CO2 EMISSIONS, IN PARTICULAR, HAVEBEEN ESTIMATED TO BE HIGHER THAN BOTH THE REGIONAL AND NATIONALAVERAGES, AND THERE IS A RECOGNISED NEED TO REDUCE THEM.RENEWABLE ENERGY HAS A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN SECURING THESEREDUCTIONS.26Technical Research Paper